ABAP_to_the_Future

13
SAPUI5
Transaction SICF controls how incoming URLs are dealt with in SAP. A URL starts
with the name of your SAP system, then the number 8000 (to be more precise,
8000 is the default value, but your SAP Basis people may have configured this to
be something else), and then a bunch of parameters (e.g., SAP System/8000/this/
that/the other).
The tree structure in an SICF node corresponds to a URL that someone (human or
program) enters into a web browser, wh ich then contacts your SAP system and
uses the URL to find the SICF node and tocall one or more ABAP handling classes,
which are defined in the node definition. In this case, the system has defined a
generic class called /IWFND/CL_SODATA_HTTP_HANDLER to respond to the incoming
URL and forward the request to your SAP Gateway monster entity.
You could have a class that decides it cannot deal with the incoming request, but
rather than raising an error just decides to let the next class in the chain have a go
to see if it has better luck. This whole approach of using service nodes frees you
from the task of having to create half a billion lines of code each time you want to
expose a business object to the outside world by using the SICF incoming URL
framework.
Note
For the examples in this chap ter, make sure the services /sap/bc/ui5_ui5 and /sap/
opu are active. You do this by going into Transaction SICF and expanding the menu path
for each of these services (e.g., SAP 폷 BC) until you find the service listed. If the service
description is in bold, then it’s already active.
If the description is not in bold, then the service is dormant. Right-click it, choose the
Activate option, and then say Yes to the Are you sure? prompt.
Moreover, not only can you see the details of your new service from within SICF,
but you can also test it. At the bottom of the /IWFND/MAINT_SERVICE screen is
a Call Browser button. Click it, and up will pop a web browser with the URL of
the SICF node filled in (Figure 13.19).
Browser Support
Not all browsers seem to like OData and SAPUI5 very much, though they all promise to
support SAPUI5 in their latest versions. If you get into trouble in your version of Internet
Explorer (for example), then try Google Chrome.
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